Station-indicator



N 0 S R E Y R P V l STATION INDICATOR.

Patented N0v. 2i1, 1882.

: ATTORNEYS;

mkc www N JLNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC.

JOHN VAN FLEET RYERSON, on NEW BRUNSWICK, new JERSEY.

. STATION-INDICATOR.-

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 267,941, dated November 21, 188?. Application filed June 21, 1882. (No model.)

' veyances, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

This. invention relates to devices for indicating topassengers on railroad-cars and other conveyances, both on land and water, the names of the stations or stopping-places on the line of route as the conveyance approaches them, A

also preferably the terminal destination of the conveyance.

To these ends the invention comprisesrertain well-known elements, including rolls, on and from which webs having the names of the stations and destination marked on them are wound and unwound, to expose to View at the proper time the several stations successively and the ultimate destination of the conveyance; also, an alarm-hell or audible signal for calling the passengersattention to the changes made in the indicator when exposing to view the succeeding stations as they occur on the route.

The invention has more particularly reference to that class of such station-indicators in which the rolls that carry and operate the indicatingweb are actuated automatically by one or more springs when released for the purpose, and in which an automatic stop mech anism is used for holding onto the one roll at measured points in its rotation by the actuating-spring, for the purpose of exposing each succeeding station on the web; and the invention consists in certain novel combinations of parts or devices in such apparatus, including a lever-stop mechanism of specialconstruction, substantially as hereinafter described, whereby great simplicity and efficiency are obtained.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a plan of a train of railroad-cars in part, with my improved indicatorsarranged at the ends of the cars, and showing a full rope for operating them conjointly throughout the sevcral cars. Fig. 2 is a partlybroken front view, upon a larger scale, of one and Fig. 5', a vertical transverse section of a modified construction of the indicator as hereinafter described. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section, on the linez z in Fig. 3, of one of the spring-rolls used in the indicator, and which corresponds with the other spring-rolls employed in the device.

Referring in the first instance to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 of the drawings, A A indicate the cars of a railroad-train, and B B the station-indicators, arranged at an elevated position in both ends of the cars and actuated synchronously throughout the train by a pullrope, 0, under the control of the engineer, conductor, or other authorized person. Said pullrope, which isin sections corresponding with the number of cars, should be provided with suitable couplings for connecting said sections when coupling the ears together, and with springs b, or ta ke-ups, forlpreventing slack and insuring like action of the several indicators.

The connection of the pull-rope U with the several indicators may be made by branch cords cl, each of which is attached at its one end to the pull-rope and passes between guides or pulleys e c and over a pulley,f, down to the holder 1) of the indicator under control by it. By this arrangement the pull-ropeO may be drawn in reverse directions to actuate the indicators, the convenience of which as regards the run of the cars on opposite tracks, or as regards working them from opposite ends of the train, will be readily understood. Such operating devices, however, may be changed, or each indicator may be operated separately by an independent pull, or the several indicators throughout a train may be actuated by electrical means, by steampower from the engine, or by compressed air.

Each indicator, when singlethat is, when organized to be viewed only from its one side or front g, which has glazed openings h h in itis constructed substantiallyas follows:

E is the web or strip of flexible material, upon which the stations on the route are indicated at suitable distances apart, and which is secured at its opposite ends to the rolls F G, so that when unwound from the one roll it is wound onto the other, and the web is exposed to view in front of the rolls. One of these rolls, F, is a spring one, similar to the one, M, shown in Fig. 6, being made hollow, with one 5 or more springs, i, extending through it and attached to a winding-spindle, 7c, and the body of the roll, subject to the control of a locking device, so that when the holder D, which eugages with the other roll, G, is released, the web E is drawn from off the roll, G, onto the spring-roll F by the action of its governing spring to expose the stations on the web successively to view. This holder D is a toothed lever, pivoted at l to the case, and engages in succession with two or more teeth, m, on the roll G. It is here shown as engaging successively with two oppositely-arranged teeth, m, which measure the travel of the web to change the exposure of the succeeding stations on it to view, each half-revolution of the roll G exposing the name ot'a succeeding station on the web.

The holder D is dropped by a spring connecting at its free end I with a gong-bell, to engage with the roll G, and is released by drawing in either direction on the pull-rope C. When in engagement with the roll Gr it holds tripped or supported from engagement with said roll a stop, H, controlled by a spring, p, which is pivoted at n to the outside case, and has a side tripping-pin, 0, extending under the holder, by which it is raised and released by said holder from engagement with the roll G;

but when the holder D is released from hold on the roll Git allows the stop H to drop and engage with the succeeding tooth m until the holder D is readjusted by relinquishing hold on the pull-rope to engage with said succeeding tooth. Thus, no matter how long the 40 pull may be retained on the rope G, the springroll F is prevented by the lock of the stop H with the roll G from taking up any more of the web E than is necessary to expose a succeeding station.

When the spring of the roll F has run out it may be rewound by a key applied to turn the roll G and set in motion the web E for the purpose. When additional spring-power is required to take up more web the roll F should be locked and the spring in said-roll be wound up by a key fitting the eudof its spindle.

I J are plain rolls carrying a web, K, on which the diii'erent terminal destinations of \the route are printed, and which may be changed by hand or key applied to either of said rolls.

S is a hell or alarm, which, by suitable connections, is sounded every time the stationindicator B is operated to call the attention of the passengers to the change made on the indicator.

All of the rolls F G and I J, or either pair,

may be made interchangeable with others to suit variations in or extensions or curtailments the case signifying that the exposure of a star has such meaning.

M is an automatic catch spring-roll similar to the window-shade rolls in use, on which is wound a web or drop, N, that is drawn down or exposed before a station is reached, and has printed on it a caution for passengers to keep their seats till the train stops, or which may have delineated on it any other cautionary notice.

Instead of arranging the station-indicators B at the end of the cars, they may be arranged V in the centers thereof and be made double, as shown in Fig. 5-that is, with the web E exposed to view on both of its sides through opposite glazed openings h, and said web have the stations marked on both of its sides. In this case both rolls carrying-said web should be spring-rolls with their springs wound in opposite direction, and with a bolt applied to the arbor of either one to lock it, according to the direction in which the train is running and the web requires to move, while the other of said rolls is controlled by a holder, D, and stop H, as hereinbefore described.

Ifdesired, instead of the pull-rope U, with its branches 6?, being used for releasing the holders D, a pull-rope arranged to run over suitable pulleys and carrying movable pulleys connected with said holders may be employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the spring-roller F, the roller G, having teeth m, the station-indicating Web E, the toothed pivoted holder D, controlled by a pull-rope or device for releasing the same, and the stop H, having a fixed pivot, 42, and provided with a tripping pin or projection, 0, for operation by the holder, essentially as described.

2. The pull rope O, with its attached branches d, in combination with the guides e e, the pulleysf, the pivoted holders D, the leverstops H, tripped by the holders, and the roll G of the indicator, having teeth m m, substantially as specified.

JOHN V. F. RYERSON.

Witnesses:

W. B. VAIL, JAMES H. VANCLEEF. 

